Partially to curry favor with new work mates, and partially to thin out my stock of Receiving CDs from 2001, I took a box in to work last week to give some away. It looks like I am down by about ten now. Receiving has become what I call my "three dollar business card," because each unit cost that much to make by the pressing plant. That of course does not include any of the cost of my gear that went into making that music, or even the mastering. I guess if I add in the cost of mastering, then it is a four dollar business card we're talking about. And a bad one at that. I am struck by the novelty of the stuff printed inside. The only valid contact info is my website listing, and even this site doesn't have any email linkage! But the internet age's fickleness has already aged Receiving. Hah. There is a link to my old mp3.com site where there was a good deal of material that now is stored and accessible in these pages. But back in the day, mp3.com was exciting and prestigious or something. At least it was a great place to keep a bunch of stuff before I got my own site and server space.

Anyhow, I don't know what people ever really think of Receiving, and in some ways I am embarrassed (making awkward apologies for the eclectic or confused stylings) and in others, delighted that anyone outside my musician's circle of 1999-2001 would hear it at all. Somehow, about 250 of the 500 pressing has happened into a range of hands. Though I ordered it so it would be commercial ready, complete with barcoding and shrink wrap, I never pursued that sort of thing. Still, folks somehow are impressed that I took it to that level, and it makes it more legit than say, a CDR with a paper label from an inkjet printer.

What I didn't expect is that the complete and rather professional package that is Receiving would get me a job promotion at a job with no connection to that music at all.

I gave out some of the CDs on a Tuesday a week ago. A day or two later after someone else's fuckup on the job, risking a major client, I was whisked into the conference room to meet with the owner and the shop manager who both were interested in knowing if I'd take on that position, since my being a driver was, to paraphrase the boss, a waste of a good employee who might be put to better use doing this shipping job or other internal tasks. A few days later, there was talk that I heard and it was to the effect of "if you can record that CD all on his own, you can surely do this!" It was some sort of compliment that reflected their idea that maybe I'd be able to handle the computer work with ease to spare, not to mention pay attention to the details involved. So then a few more people heard about the CD and then I gave them some copies too! And so it goes that Receiving is having another little wave of new listeners.

I actually keep a mostly complete Excel record of who has a copy of Receiving. They have gone out to the musician buddies around me at the time, or other potential players in bands and recording collaborations since then. I toss them in on my eBay sales (which are only ever musical sales), and it is interesting seeing how many other parts of my life have had copies doled out. I even gave them out to my therapists so I could get some "old" me out and force the various feelings (associated with the period, or the lyrics, or whatever) into the open. Arising from some donated disks during my one time stay at a residential therapy center in 2003, there is what must be my most diehard fan. He is from Ohio. He calls me every now and then to tell me how he's been listening to it and swears its the coolest thing ever. I joked about sending him a box of CDs so he could sell them and make us both a few bucks. Hell, he might be just the guy. Anyhow, I was joking and we never did that. But with about half my initial run of 500 still here, still taking space, any nutty idea might help blow them out.